22 August 2002

Data Extract Service

Commodity Classifications HS and SITC

The earliest data in the COMTRADE database refer to the year 1962. At that time the first revision of the SITC was used to classify the commodities. In 1976, SITC Rev.2 was officially introduced. Not all countries switched immediately to the new classification, which means that for some countries we have 1976 data reported in S2 (and S1, since we convert back to S1 from S2) and for other countries we only have 1976 reported in S1. In 1988, SITC, Rev.3 was launched. Again, not all countries were able to make the switch to S3 immediately in that year.

The Statistical Commission of the United Nations adopted in 1995 a recommendation to add the Harmonized System classification to the COMTRADE database system. The HS classification is maintained by the World Customs Organization and is considerably more detailed that the SITC. The first version of the HS was introduced in 1988. Therefore, UNSD requested from all UN member states in 1995 to send data in HS starting with the year 1988. Not all countries were able to comply with this request. In 1996, a major revision of the HS classification was take into production.

Descriptions

Descriptions of the commodity headings of S3, S2 and S1 are given in publications of the series "Standard International Trade Classification, Statistical Papers Series M No. 34". Detailed lists of the commodities included under each heading of the SITC are set out in the appropriate edition of the publication: "Commodity Indexes for the Standard International Trade Classification, Statistical Papers Series M38 (2 vols.)". Some information on the headings of the SITC can be found on the UN Classification web page, where also details of related classifications are given.